All The MCU Ladies
by Yuna Yami Mouto
Summary: ... are in the Tony Stark Defense Squad. Watch out boys, 'cus who run the world? Girls! And they don't like their best bi friend and his pseudo sons being harassed, bullied or hurt. (Slight IronStrange)


**All The MCU Ladies**

**Summary: ... are in the Tony Stark Defense Squad. Watch out boys, 'cus who run the world? Girls! And they don't like their best bi friend and his pseudo sons being harassed, bullied or hurt.**

**(Slight IronStrnage)**

It started with one Margaret 'Peggy' Carter, or Aunt Peggy for her precious godson. She was the absolute first who saw the need for it, at least of the 'outsiders'. Edwin Jarvis was the instigator, having seen what his young master went through in his day to day life, both as a result to his parents' busy lives and the rare few children around that were jealous of how clever he was. Still, it was Agent Carter who saw the need to form the back then still nameless Tony Stark Defense squad because her little godson/honorary nephew was a cinnamon bon that deserved happiness and love and neither Howard nor Maria Stark knew how to give it to him properly. Howard was still obsessed with finding Captain America when even Peggy had moved on and Maria was too busy with her galas and charity events, not to mention too inexperienced to truly care for a child, no matter how much she loved him. They were almost never around so the true parental figures in a young Anthony Edward Stark's life were none other than his butler and Aunt Peggy.

Peggy _loved_ her inquisitive, intelligent, fierce little boy as much as she'll later love her own children when she gets married. Still, Anthony will always have a special place in her heart. The way he always treasured everything she ever gifted him, the way his face lit up like the sun - and surpassed its greatness and shine, in Peggy's humble opinion - and the way he was always eager to show off his little - groundbreaking and breathtaking - inventions always made her day. No one at SHIELD - still in its infant stages - needed to ask whether the picture of the boy on her desk was her's. They all knew he might as well be. They never questioned why there were so many protocols in place to protect this child, even before he showed to the world an intellect to rival and far surpass his father's. And little Tony might not remember it when he grew up, but SHIELD got to meet him a long time ago, carried in Peggy's sure hold as he talked her ear off about the toy robot he managed to make out of his father's box of scraps from guns and aviation parts. He won't remember that some of the first agents of SHIELD got to enjoy his infectious giggles and bask in the innocence of his bright smiles. He won't remember hushed conversations over his sleeping form when he manages to hack their phones by crossing a few wires and listening in on their top secret conversations. They don't question it.

There was no questioning it.

Agent Peggy Carter was the very first female member of the Tony Stark Defense Squad.

And when she became Director of SHIELD, her best and most loyal, capable protege, one Nickolas 'Nick' Fury got to meet the Starks, became friends with Howard and absolutely fell in love with little Tony. Oh, he never showed it as much as Jarvis and Carter did, but he had his own way of displaying his affection for the five year old. Unfortunately, he eventually had to climb in rank and his visits to the Starks had to be secretive so Tony probably forgot all about his 'Uncle Nick'.

Didn't mean Fury was any less a part of the Tony Stark Defense Squad.

And with him, in Tony's early twenties, he brought in Major Carol Danvers, Captain Marvel. A human with the power of the Tesseract and Kree blood coursing through her veins. She was the most powerful being Fury had met so far and a very close friend. Perhaps the only one he had ever showed his small collection of Tony's pictures that he had Peggy send him as the young Stark heir grew up. And, predictably, Carol found his doe brown eyes and messy hair as cute as everyone else has.

"Oh, he's _adorable_!" The woman had gushed as she looked through the cluster of photos while Fury drove them to Area 51 to get to her plane. Later, she even showed the pictures to her friend and her friend's daughter and then even to their new Skrull allies. Needless to say, Tony Stark won all of their hearts.

"My biggest concern is that he is an _asshole_," Fury grumbled, frowning at the picture of a smiling Tony with his best friend, James 'Rhodey' Rhodes, future Colonel and War Machine, also unwittingly having become a part of the still unnamed Tony Stark Defense Squad. "Or at least he pretends to be. It will get him in some serious trouble in life and I can't always follow him. I can't always watch his back and protect him. Not if I want to stay in the shadows. And I fear, knowing how big the universe is and how smart _he_ is, the universe might come after him."

"Hey!" Carol had admonished, bumping shoulders with him. "I gave you a way to contact me. It doesn't have to be a world-ending situation. I can come back to protect the kitten and even finally meet him!"

"Kitten?" Fury frowned and she showed him the picture of Tony cuddled up to Rhodes, truly resembling a satisfied tabby and Fury had to agree. "Okay, I see your point." And so, with Fury came Carol and, later, Maria Hill and even the supposedly emotionless Agent Natasha Romanov, the Black Widow. But before them, in stepped none other than Virginia 'Pepper' Potts.

The future CEO of Stark Industries met Tony Stark in his early twenties, starting off as some lowly employee but catching his attention and becoming his personal assistant. Pepper did things a normal PA would never dream of doing, going places most _rich_ people didn't get to, meeting all kinds of important and famous people, no matter their field. Most of all, she saw her boss as only Harold 'Happy' Hogan, Stark's personal bodyguard and driver, and Rhodey ever got to see him. She met the man behind his public persona and, inevitably, she fell in love. Really in love. It took time and she often felt ashamed of herself for having feelings for her boss. She took great pleasure in escorting (kicking out) his one night stands and was deeply honored whenever he showed he trusted her or cared about her. Her biggest problem, though, was probably how mixed her feelings are for him. He was her family, her friend and her love interest. Some days she'd see him and think he's the brother she never had, others she'd wonder if soulmates existed.

And if she was honest with herself, she feared the answer to that because she knew she wouldn't be his.

Still, after Afghanistan, his return and seeing how much he had matured from that, she almost let go of her composure and accepted his offhand sounding offer for them to date. Almost. She wondered if things would have been different if she had said yes that day. Would he still have said with pride and determination "I am Iron Man"? Would he still have held the Expo? Would he have told her about the palladium poisoning he had been dying from? There were always so many questions, so many what ifs. But after nearly loosing him for the second time, she was willing to take the risk. She said yes and they went out on their first date. She noticed their overall interactions haven't changed much except bolder kisses and the amazing sex. He was still Iron Man, she was still Pepper Potts, CEO or otherwise. Then came New York and the nightmares. She saw how fragile and human Tony Stark actually was and she swore she won't ever let him face down something like the wormhole alone ever again. She had Rhodey and Happy as support in this, not to mention the ever present and overprotective JARVIS. Still, Killian happened, Extremis happened and Pepper nearly died and Tony nearly died with her. But she had some new powers in her that Tony later helped stabilize. She defeated his enemy and saved him and found the feeling _good_. She started realizing, though, that she honestly feared Iron Man will take Tony to an early grave. It was _her_ nightmare, especially after he gave up his suit to save her (and Maya) during the bombing of his mansion.

She also realized that, most of the time, the affection with which she looked at Tony Stark matched the one she felt for Rhodey or Happy. It was the same.

She ignored it until she no longer could and they broke up. Tony calked it taking a break for a while before he, too, probably realized the same thing she had. They were better off as brother and sister, platonic soulmates at best, if those existed at all. Pepper honestly thought this realization had a lot to do with loosing JARVIS for good when Vision was born and then nearly loosing Rhodey in the so called 'Civil War' against Rogers and his band of rogues. She knew where they stood. She knew she will move galaxies for him.

It was still Harley Keener, the kid that helped Tony out during the whole Mandarin fiasco that named their ever growing group the 'Tony Stark Defense Squad'.

One of whose early Iron Man days new member was Natasha Romanov herself. What had, for her, started off as a regular infiltration and profiling mission had quickly turned her whole world upside down. That was the effect of getting to know the real Tony Stark. Her deception had hurt the both of them and for the longest time, Stark didn't trust her. After having had a little bit of it, Natasha wanted more. She kept in touch with Tony and the family he built for himself. She may have written 'Tony Stark: not recommended', but that was because he didn't deserve to be dragged into the world in which SHIELD operated, even if it was in a 'superhero boy band' like the Avengers Initiative. Romanov didn't want to put him in danger. He was the world's future. And yet, despite Fury agreeing with her, they had no choice but to call on him when Loki came and New York happened. Stark was their best bet at finding the Tesseract despite already having the gamma radiation expert on the team. And Tony's suit proved capable of taking on gods and monsters. His "Agent Romanov, did you miss me?" was teasing and familiar and Natasha couldn't have stopped her smile back then anymore than she could later on whenever he greeted her with those same words. Her words of "Come on, Stark" as she waited for him to come back through the wormhole in the sky was as desperate as she was ever going to let herself sound. Her relief when he did, when Hulk caught him from his free-fall and when he turned out alright, treating the team to shwarma after was almost overwhelming. She cared for so few people in her life. She would rather die than let the light in the eyes of Tony Stark fade forever. Which was why she refused to let Steve drag him into the SHIELDRA mess. His name was at the top of HYDRA's list. What happened to his parents, their murder, would destroy him. She wanted to tell him when the mess was over but Steve insisted he would tell Tony himself. She believed him and disappeared off the radar, watching from the shadows as the world started tearing everything she had ever thought she had known apart.

Stark stepped in. Stark saved hundreds if not thousands of agents. She knew they, too, became a part of the Tony Stark Defense Squad after he gave them jobs and homes in his company and under his protection. New lives.

She cane back to the newly named Avengers Tower second, Banner having beat her to the punch, when it was safe. She wanted to make sure Killian wasn't his breaking point. She was both proud and horrified it wasn't because it meant _he still won't stop_. He'll still be Iron Man. He'll still risk his life and she might loose him.

At least she had some familiar company in her worry. Pepper and Maria were there and so was Bruce. The Big Green Cuddle Machine _adored_ his Tin Man and Bruce was Tony's science bro. They were, too, part of the TSDS though she doubted they knew. Hill knew. She had probably been a part of it almost as long as Natasha has. It is difficult not to grow fond of the overgrown child that was Tony Stark. He could be clingy and cuddly and cute as a kitten or a teddy bear. Hulk enjoyed this a lot more openly than Bruce did. Didn't change the fact both sides of Banner would conquer the universe if Tony asked them. But after Ultron, when Wanda Maximoff became a part of the team despite Tony's protests, Bruce left and then Tony left. Natasha was sad to know they won't see each other as often but was also extremely relieved he'll be safer now.

But with Bruce leaving and the consequences of the fall of SHIELD and then the Sokovia tragedy, the world got restless with the Avengers' overall destructive tendencies and General Ross came back into the picture. Which, unfortunately, brought one Elizabeth 'Betty' Ross back into danger as her father wanted to use her as bait to get to Banner. Tony, knowing how much Betty meant to Bruce even if there was that strange thing going on with Nat, knew he had to protect her so he brought her in, gave her a job and kept her location secret from Ross even as he struggled to make the Accords amendable to all enhanced, super-powered or mutated individuals. Betty, grateful for all that he has done for Bruce and was doing for her, did her best to assist him in his projects or dealing with her father. It's how she got to know him and learned just how little he takes care of himself. So she took it upon herself to care for him. She couldn't do much. She was only a baseline human. But she _could_ bring him food and water, could reduce his coffee intake and get him to relax even for the shortest periods of time. Sleep was beyond her power, but then she got backup.

Thor's (ex?) girlfriend, Jane Foster, and her marry band also came to work for SI after the new Accords investigators started bothering them about the thunder god and the likeliness of him coming back to Earth. Tony got wind of it and found them accommodations and labs of their own, which, inevitably, introduced the two brilliant women, Darcy and even Helen Cho to each other. Maria Hill and Pepper practically walked them through the initiation into the TSDS after the newbies started going soft on Stark. It was easy. Tony had a matching personality - to a degree - with Jane, mostly their curiosity and Darcy absolutely _loved_ his snark and his wast music collection.

The often underrated president of the TSDS was, of course, FRIDAY and you can never forget her elder brothers. FRIDAY, though the youngest, took over JARVIS' position and was constantly with her Boss. She shared with him a special bond no one could replicate. He trusted her with things he'd never share with anyone else and he gave her privileges no one else had. She was there with him when he let Sokovia fall on him. She was there with him when he retired from the Avengers and left the Compound in Captain America's and Agent Romanov's supposedly capable hands. She was there to see him struggle to make the Accords fair and keep as much power and influence over them out of Ross' greedy hands. She was there with her Boss when he realized he would have to fight his own teammates and that he'll have to recruit the young Spider-Man. She was there for the fight, for the arrest, for Colonel Rhodes' surgery, for the aftermath, for the RAFT visit and all the cruel words hurled at her creator and she fumed with rage. She knew those words will hit her Boss hard and he'll even think he deserves it. FRIDAY knows he doesn't. He tried to help them but they didn't listen.

And she was there when she saw his heart break and him just snap when the truth of his parents' fate was revealed to him. FRIDAY swore she will kill Steven Grant Rogers herself for disabling the suit and preventing her from being there for her creator when he needed someone the most. Thankfully, Vision had no qualms about going to Siberia to fetch their creator and then both he and the AI tried to comfort the unconscious but dreaming - more light nightmaring - Tony. And in the following days, they never left his side.

Civil War was a tragedy but it had some wonderful fruits as well. For one, Agent Romanov's true allegiances were revealed. She came and apologized to Tony for letting Rogers and Barnes get away, though she had thought they'd go to stop more Winter Soldiers from being 'activated' for a lack of a better word. And Peter Parker at least became the light of Tony's life, his bright spot. He caused worry but the pride Boss felt for the teen and the growing affection outweighed everything else. Not to mention that that, also, brought one May Parker into Boss' life and while she couldn't cook to save her life, she could deal with his difficultness - yes, that's the word FRIDAY was rightfully using - about going to sleep. Being a single guardian to an energetic teenager helped one develop various methods to get people to listen to them and do as they say. Besides, it helped that she would always just bring up Peter and how the boy looks up to him and Tony would be putty in her hands. Needless to say, TSDS was constantly evolving and expanding.

Another bright spot in the Civil War fiasco was the tentative friendship Tony developed with the young King T'Challa, though it was the women in _his _life that took to Stark liked ducks to water. T'Challa admitted to Tony he was housing the Rogue Avengers in Wakanda, more so to keep them off the streets and from 'avenging' unnecessarily and leading to more property damage and then they started talking about the Accords and how to better them even more. FRIDAY followed her Boss when he was invited to Wakanda and was witness to the Dora Milaje being all overprotective of the first ever outsider that saw them as the fierce warriors they are and how kickass they are and not just some women that are meant to stand there and look pretty. He had earned their respect and they swore they were going to protect him no matter who or what might attack him while on Wakandan soil, especially since he had honored them all by not bringing his Iron Man suit to show he was a friend and that he trusted them. Wakanda's royal family as a whole swore to never fail or betray that trust, not when it was already so recently broken and yet he was extending it to new people again. FRIDAY approved.

She also approved of how Princess Shuri was so excited to talk with Boss. She was intelligent but she saw her mentor in age and in years of creating things. She saw the brilliance behind Boss' mind. Wakanda had centuries to develop the technology it had now. Shuri and most of her fellow scientists recognized how amazing Boss was for managing to catch up to them in about half a decade of working on his own _without _the Vibranium they had at their disposal. The young Princess was almost as excitable about Tony as his two pseudo sons were and she took great pleasure in claiming him as her's, much to her family's exasperation and Tony's amusement. He was, quite frankly, used to people, especially females, declaring him theirs to protect. He was starting to figure out the Tony Stark Defense Squad's existence, though he was still sure it was just his imagination.

FRIDAY gave Shuri, T'Challa, the Dora Milaje and Queen Ramonda all the 'official application' forms, which they gladly filled out and then added them to the secret group chat the TSDS kept so they can discuss tactics of how best to keep Tony safe and healthy. "You can count on us," they had promised.

JARVIS would definitely be proud of his successor and younger sister.

FRIDAY was also there to see her creator approach Hank Pym and Hope Van Dyne about Scott Lang's (mis)use of the Ant Man suit and the repercussions it had brought upon them. FRIDAY had been the one to track them, what with their little shrinking/disappearing act and she had been there when he had approached them.

"Lang's actions in Germany have been pinned solely on him," he had explained, saying he had made sure the right people realized they were not involved besides giving him a suit and monitoring how and when he used it except that single time when he sneaked off without telling either of them. "You're off the hook."

"And what do you want in return?" Pym had asked, never one to trust a Stark, always one to hold a grudge. Tony had just shrugged.

"I want to help you in your project. I know what you're trying to do. I know you're having trouble to obtain the necessary parts." He didn't flinch or bat an eyelash at the incredulous looks he was getting from both father and daughter. "I also know that you won't trust me with the project itself because you think I'm like Howard and probably think I'd try to steal your work. so I'll make you an offer instead. Whatever tech you need, I'll give it to you. Just ask."

Hope Van Dyne went and read, signed and joined the Accords and the other heroes who had signed them. Her father disapproved, saying that it now makes his research the UN's property, only for Hope to show him that the Accords actually protect their research and register it as a power to assists and not fights the law. They can return to their old lives and continue their research in peace. And when they run into a snag they can't fix on their own, Hope suggests they call Tony for help.

"Absolutely not! He'll take my research as his own!"

And Hope has at this point gotten to know Tony, they talked and she met all the people in the TSDS and she knew what kind of man he was. So she told her father to shove it, reminding him that Tony was not his father, that he was probably one of the smartest if not _the _smartest man on Earth. "This is probably our only chance to get mom back and you'd let your own goddamn pride stand in the way of doing that? What kind of man _are _you?! You have no right to speak of Tony that way!"

Hank relented and Tony was called in and he and FRIDAY managed to help them get to Janet Van Dyne. FRIDAY wondered what her Boss was feeling as he fled from the family reunion, giving them their space and the time to catch up. Which was why he was surprised when he got a visit from the three just before he could leave his hotel room for New York. He as even more surprised when the first Wasp then dragged him off with her daughter to further discuss the uses the Quantum Realm could have in medicine and technology, especially clean energy, things Tony specialized in ever since he closed down the weapons manufacturing of his company, a grumpy Pym following along. Janet signed the Accords, even though she wasn't an active hero/agent anymore and even got Hank to do so as well.

She had been a close friend of Maria's and somehow saw Tony as a son she never had. It helped that Hope and Tony easily got along like siblings. She reminded him of Pepper and it was all too easy to care about Tony when he dropped his practiced public persona.

And when it became obvious they genuinely cared and looked out for Tony, the other members of TSDS offered them membership.

Things got a bit intense when Laura Barton one day arrived at Tony's doorstep, all three of her children in tow. She still never forgot how Tony fixed and even improved their farm's tractor. Clint was good at many things but that thing had been broken no matter his attempts to fix it. Besides, the little Bartons adored their new Uncle Tony. Stark, despite never having kids of his own nor parents to teach him about treating kids right, was somehow a godsend where kids were concerned. They liked him. He played with them, he treated them the same as he would an adult, never pretending they were dumb or wouldn't understand, though he chose his words a lot more carefully when speaking with them. He never got upset no matter what they dead and absolutely freaked out if they got hurt. It endeared him to Laura and she honestly thought, besides Natasha, that Tony was the best teammate Clint had brought home that day. In just couple of days, she saw in him what she knew Natasha must also see. It is both easy and hard to love Tony but it is always worth it. She knew him to be a good man. He had promised her his doors were always open for her and her family. So she came to him in the wake of Clint's little escapade with Captain America, needing his protection lest the repercussions of Clint's actions impact her children. The farm was simply destroyed one day when she was bringing the kids back from school so she knew she had no other place to go and no one else to turn to.

She didn't need no applications. She'd been an TSDS member since she met him. She only thought Clint was a part of it, too, but she guessed she had been wrong.

Months passed and things settled. Tony was as happy as he can be, though he sometimes wondered how he got so many people suddenly filling the walls of the Avengers Compound, worrying about his health, making him eat and sleep regularly and making sure he took frequent breaks to just relax. Still, taking care of himself helped him be more productive in the lab, allowing him to develop better tech and responses to any extraterrestrial threats he presumed might happen, had been fearing will happen for years now.

But things were all going great for now, until one day, the USA managed to get pardons for the Rogues, wanting their national icon back. The world was left in shock but the Rogues were scheduled to come back to US soil within two months, when the pardons were finalized and Tony was expected to welcome them back. Needless to say, the TSDS had a few things to say to that, but they had two months to plan out how they were going to get back at the Rogues. For now, Hill convinced Fury to call his secret contact and, for the first time, Carol met Tony and she didn't come alone.

Carol Danvers and the Guardians of the Galaxy weren't really sure what to think of Tony at first. Carol had only heard stories of him form his younger days but the adult almost lacked the boundless energy Fury used to tell her about. Still, it took very little for the two of them to strike up a remarkable friendship, based on a similar life story of their lives actually beginning on the day they almost died. She honestly found him refreshing. The Kree had treated her as a pawn, a mere soldier, even the man she had considered her mentor and dear friend. The other 'fly boys' in the air force had always considered her and Maria not good enough and the way women were treated back then wasn't of any help. Fury was probably one of the first men ever to treat her as a true equal to himself and even as his better.

Tony, though, had an utter and unimaginable respect for the fairer sex, born from his love of his godmother and mother and later from friendship with scary and competent women such as Pepper and Natasha. Heck, he even had a great friendship, if utterly bizarre in nature, with Christine Everheart but that's beside the point. The point was, immediately upon meeting her, Tony was like "Wow! You're awesome. Can you teach me how to fly like you? Without the need of assistance from FRIDAY in the suit, of course. I've never met anyone like you. You're new blood. We need that. I can just imagine how well you kick ass and take names." which immediately set her opinion of him. She had trouble at times connecting this respectful and curious side of him that had a million questions about how the Tesseract affected her biology with the more flirtatious side of him until she realized that was how he teased people. It only truly became clear a bit alter, after meeting a certain sorcerer. Also, he was great with kids and had a hot best friend. And when she decided to get a new haircut, at which Fury bemoaned, he only asked who her stylist was because it was 'hip'.

And offering his protection to Maria and Monica? It brought back those few conversations Carol had managed to get out of Fury about the young adult he watched grow up, how kind his heart is under all those pretenses of being an asshole. After that, it was way too easy to solidify her want to be his friend and protect him however she can. TSDS was definitely a place for her, especially since it only got her more friends. Somehow, she wasn't at all surprised most of the members were female. Tony Stark and his not-son Peter Parker were cinnamon rolls meant to be protected, no matter how bad ass both of them could be. Them letting girls protect them? Only a bonus in how awesome they both were.

Out of the Guardians of the Galaxy, though, Nebula took to Stark the best. Even her own sister didn't completely understand her but Tony understood machines, understood being unmade by your own father(figure), understood that betrayal and that feeling of never being enough. (Another uniting force between Tony and most of the TSDS is the daddy issues they all suffered from. Talk about _complicated_.) Not to mention he always got on better with machines than actual humans and Nebula wasn't even human. Somehow, some way no one could quite explain, he took her under his wing, became her friend and welcomed him into his family. In turn, Nebula swore to traverse the universe in his name, should he ever need her. The bond they formed was instant the second Stark managed to get her to smile.

Gamora easily followed in her adopted sister's footsteps. She, better than anyone, knew what part Stark was meant to play in their father's fall. She knew this was the one man he will kill because it was personal, because he was an obstacle, because he was a threat, because he feared him, no matter how ordinary the human seemed. It started out as a thing of need, of necessity. Stark was supposed to save them, to stop her father. However, Gamora, too, easily fell for the charms he so naturally expressed, how warm he was to people he deemed worthy of becoming a part of his inner circle. Needless to say, there are more than one reason for her to join all the other fierce ladies in protecting this softy of a man.

Mantis just wanted him to stop hurting inside. She was just that nice and appreciated how warm and welcome she felt after Tony got used to how touchy-feely she could be and just let her sense how he felt at the most random of times. His affection for the people in his life made her feel appreciated. It amplified the feeling of being part of the Guardian's family tenfold.

Peter Quill, Drax and Rocket had their own reasons for becoming close friends with Stark. It was too easy to be annoyingly fond with the man.

Things got really interesting when Tony finally met one Doctor Stephen Vincent Strange, newly named Sorcerer Supreme, and the man's interest in the genius became apparent after only a few encounters. That, of course, already had the TSDS up in arms, just waiting for any sign that they needed to protect Tony in any sense of the word, but Strange proved to be a potential new member. Which only managed to complicate things even more because, quite frankly, most of them were women and they just saw two bisexual men eyeing each other up. They didn't need to be impressionable teenage girls for them to start seeing with the so called yaoi-glasses. And it certainly didn't help when Strange decided what he wanted and upped his game while all the while remaining a perfect gentleman and a decent human being. Needless to say, they were torn as to what reaction they should have, especially when Tony showed interest in Strange as well. Pepper was the most conflicted about this turn of events, given how worried she had been about Tony after their breakup. None of them wanted to deny him happiness - or themselves some possibly really good steamy scenarios that FRIDAY would have to forward to them for safety reasons - but that didn't stop them from worrying about the sorcerer eventually breaking Tony's already fragile and in pieces heart.

So they rounded him up and the core members of the very first TSDS lineup gathered in a dark room, all pointing one big flashlight in the Sorcerer Supreme's face, wearing menacing expressions, Harley had a baseball bat, Rhodey and Peter were in their suits and DUM-E had even taken out his fire extinguisher the rest watching from the living room flat screen TV, waiting for the questions to start and to hear the answers. Darcy had even made them all badges that said Tony Stark Defense Squad for solidarity and so they can feel like they're all a part of the 'interrogation'. What they had not expected was for Stephen fucking Strange to have the Cloak of Levitation pull aside his robes and reveal a red shirt with golden letters stating the same message, smirking proudly as he puffed up his chest. They couldn't help it. Most of their jaws dropped or they started howling with laughter.

"How com we didn't think of that?" Peter pouted to Harley, though both boys were relieved. Their mentor/father figure wasn't going to be taken advantage of and they knew, as Strange practically swore a blood oath right then and there, that if he ever does hurt Tony, it will be unwillingly and perhaps accidentally, which was far more promising than how his first 'team' treated him. So they let him be - hell, Pepper even shook his hand! - and they watched as he romanced Tony into a relationship. None of them missed how Tony couldn't be happier, cuddling, holding hands and exchanging chaste and not so chaste kisses with the former neurosurgeon. They were certainly two of a kind, all things considered. The TSDS knew that those two understood each other on a level they couldn't comprehend even if they had several lifetimes to do it. They've been through similar hardships and it has shaped them in similar ways, both the good and the bad. It sounded like too much arrogance in a relationship, which would be true if either of them were arrogant (ever, in Tony's case). They had a similar drive and understood each other's priorities.

The Tony Stark Defense Squad liked it that Tony was at the top of Strange's priorities.

With Strange, though, came Christine Palmer, who constantly nagged Tony about his health as a doctor, and Wong, who found Tony's unstable curiosity more amusing than anything else. But then Thor came back with Loki and Strange led them to the New York Sanctum, helped them and sent them on their merry way, only for them to come back a few weeks later with Bruce and a woman simply calling herself Valkyrie along. And her like of Tony was instantaneous when he gifted her with his old liquor stash that he no longer uses since it's seriously bad for his health and he's not getting any younger. Thor found it unfair that he so easily earned her respect while Loki spent most of his days glaring at Strange. Either was, Valkyrie had her new liquor cabinet to protect and a certain application to fill out.

Needless to say, the Accords Council was finding it hard to justify the need for the Rogues pardon when the Avengers Compound was more than full of far more powerful individuals who had already signed the Accords and were abiding the law.

Still, the US got what they wanted and Rogers, Wilson, Lang and Maximoff were back at the Compound, Barnes having chosen to stay in Wakanda until he was 100% sure the triggers were removed. Rogers may not have liked that but he accepted it wasn't his decision and left Bucky in more than capable hands. But it wasn't Tony Stark that greeted them when they returned, having been distracted by his boyfriend, pseudo son, Vision and the other kids into having a late movie night that lasted till the early hours in the morning, even if it was a school night - it was definitely worth it and for a good cause; the schools in question were notified the kids were coming down with a fever so all was good - thus still being asleep when the Rogues arrived. In his stead, though, there was a welcome party that left the Rogues confused, intrigued and on edge, given their numbers. Let's just say that all the ladies had threatened all the boys to leave the 'welcome back' party to them _or else_ and they hadn't exactly been in the mood to have their balls removed with a rusty spoon, than you very much. So it was both an every man's dream welcome as well as an every man's worst nightmare scenario because all those lovely ladies were sharpening blades, powers glowing in eyes and hands, a few cocking guns/charging repulsors/blasters. Hell, May had brought along one of her pans and a ladle, ready to eviscerate Captain America with her abused cooking utensils. They were a beyond scary bunch when they all smiled sweetly at them but with murder glinting in their eyes.

"Uh, hey, Nat," Steve greeted uneasily, focusing on the faces he recognized. "Pepper. Laura. Hill. Princess Shuri. What brings you here?" It was more gutsy than he realized, but two of his companions weren't as blessed with obliviousness. Clint saw Laura's gun. He knew what that meant. Scott could see Hope cracking her knuckles and gulped, especially when he realized she was wearing the Wasp suit. He could only guess the second Wasp beside her to possibly be her mother and he knew he was screwed. He was lucky Maggie wasn't in this lineup but he didn't doubt she would have been had she been informed. Sam, too, saw Natasha's ready guns, Widow Bites and knives and was smart enough to keep his mouth shut.

"Oh, nothing," the redhead spy replied casually and Barton shivered. He knew that tone. This was the Black Widow talking. "We just heard that you guys were coming back."

"And that you were expecting a welcome from Stark, no less," Hill continued for her, pulling the safety off of her gun. Not even Steve could misinterpret the message _that_ gesture sent out. He _had_ been on the receiving end of a barrage of bullets from a pissed off woman before, though he was just as confused for the reason behind it now as he was back then.

"We just decided you didn't deserve that," Laura added sweetly.

"The VIP treatment is only for those deserving of it, after all," the Wakandan Princess said, voice dead serious and more terrifying than when she had threatened Steve out of her lab so she can start working on Bucky's problem.

"And we've decided you don't deserve to be in the Presence of Tony Stark, Mr Rogers," Pepper finished, a bit of red starting to burn under her skin, even as a purple and gray armor spread around her like water, one of the only seven nanotech suits on the planet and two of them belonged to Wakanda. Tony had outdone himself with the Bleeding Edge armor, nanotech War Machine, Iron Spider, Harley's rescue armor and Pepper's Iron Heart armor. Even Shuri was impressed.

"Oh, thank goodness!" Wanda exclaimed to Pepper's statement, completely misinterpreting it. "_Someone_ realizes we shouldn't have to suffer through his company. It's good you finally came to your senses. I always did wonder how a sensible, smart, capable woman like you would stick to someone like _Stark_," she spat his name, anger and traces of hatred seeping into her tone which immediately put the other women on edge.

"You misunderstand," Valkyrie said smoothly, for once stone cold sober. This was too important for her to mock it by drinking herself silly.

"It's not _you_ who is spared Stark's company, it's _him_ that is spared _your's_," Gamora spat, both she and Nebula ready to slice them to pieces any second now.

"Listen-"

"No, _you_ listen, Rogers!" Carol interrupted authoritatively and Steve's mouth actually snapped shut so hard they heard his teeth clinking. "There are some new rules you're going to follow from now on."

"That is, if you want to live," hissed Nebula, inspecting her mechanical arm before glaring death at the star spangled man.

"The East wing is off limits," Betty began, soon followed by Jane's "As are the basement and the East wing rooftop. That's our labs and testing ground for my equipment."

"Go there and you get super tased!" Darcy chirped gleefully, displaying the crackling taser Tony had made just for her with settings powerful enough to knock out the Hulk.

"The training room has a schedule, which you will follow if you know what's good for you," Hope said, her sharp voice making Scott wince and shrink in on himself even without the use of his suit.

"You want to talk to Tony, you don't approach or corner him when you find it convenient for yourself. You make an appointment and respect his busy schedule," Natasha threatened, fully intending to make sure this particular rule was followed.

"Tony won't be providing you with new gear or fixing your things," Pepper listed, raising a glowing repulsor gauntlet in their direction. "The days of when you use his hospitality are over."

"He won't pay for your stuff," Shuri and Ramonda intoned, the Dora Milaje quick to dish out their own rules.

"You try to corner him alone and you die."

"You don't stalk him," Laura said evenly. "You don't ambush him, you don't follow him to charity events or galas."

"Try hacking Boss or going around me and I will take great pleasure in demonstrating the consequences," FRIDAY high-key threatened, accenting her point by pointing all of the Compound's defense systems in their direction.

"Just try getting into the vents or sneak around us," Gamora dared. "We'll drag you out. You won't like it."

Wanda laughed at them, not at all intimidated, unlike her companions, who were mostly pale as though they'd seen a ghost. "You think you can enforce these silly rules? You clearly don't know who you are dealing with."

"It is you who has no idea who she's dealing with, little girl," both Carol and Valkyrie said, the former activating her powers while the latter took out her sword. "You're not the only one who got special powers from an Infinity Stone," the blond continued and the darker skinned woman finished.

"Or that knows magic. There are two magic users currently present that could tear you apart, piece by piece, and no one would stop them, even if they could."

"Are you threatening us?" The Sokovian asked and Mantis frowned. She looked rather confused.

"I thought we were rather clear. Do you have a mental illness? Should I take a look? Maybe I can help."

All the women snorted at that and Maximoff growled,eyes going red,hands glowing with red energy, only for it to disappear as goldish-orange protection runes lit up in the air, restraining her magic. Maria snorted.

"Didn't you hear her say there are powerful magicians here ready to kick your ass? What's wrong with you, girl?"

"What did you do!?" The Scarlet Witch raged, trying to call upon her powers only to find it futile. "Tell me!"

"Go find Doctor Strange later and he _might_ return your powers to you," Pepper gave a very sharp smile. "I trust the rest of you understand the rules. Will that be all?" When none of them dared say anything else, the strawberry blond smirked in satisfaction. "I thought so." And with that,the Tony Stark Defense Squad whirled around and went back inside, headed for the East wing.

What none of them knew about was a touched, slightly choked up and teary eyed Tony Stark watching all of his favorite ladies take his side and grinning at their victory before snuggling back into the cuddle pile that were the kids, nestling his head over Strange's chest and falling back asleep to the calm beating of his heart.

It felt good to have backup.

**THE END**


End file.
